Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 8, 2026

Apocynum

Apocynum, commonly known as dogbane or Indian hemp, is a small genus of the flowering plant family Apocynaceae. Its name comes from Ancient Greek ἀπόκυνον, from ἀπο- apo- "away" and κύων kyōn "dog", referring to dogbane, which was used to poison dogs. The genus is native to North America, temperate Asia, and southeastern Europe.

Last revised
Jun 8, 2026
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Apocynum
Apocynum androsaemifolium
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Apocynoideae
Tribe: Apocyneae
Genus: Apocynum
L.
Synonyms1
  • Apocynastrum Heist. ex Fabr.
  • Cynopaema Lunell
  • Poacynum Baill.
  • Trachomitum Woodson

Apocynum, commonly known as dogbane2 or Indian hemp,2 is a small genus of the flowering plant family Apocynaceae. Its name comes from Ancient Greek ἀπόκυνον,3 from ἀπο- apo- "away" and κύων kyōn "dog",4 referring to dogbane (Cionura erecta),5 which was used to poison dogs.6 The genus is native to North America, temperate Asia, and southeastern Europe.178

Apocynum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the queen butterfly and the mouse moth.

Uses

Apocynum cannabinum is used as a source of fiber by Native Americans. Apocynum venetum (Chinese: 羅布麻) is used as an herbal tea in China.9 Dogbane contains cymarin, a cardiotonic agent formerly used to treat cardiac arrhythmia in humans.10

Species

Almost 300 names have been proposed in the genus for species, subspecies, and forms.1 As of 2019, only the following five species and hybrids are currently recognized, with several subspecies and varieties accepted for A. androsaemifolium and A. venetum (see their respective species pages).11

References

References

  1. "Apocynum". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020.
  2. English Names for Korean Native Plants (PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. 2015. p. 517. ISBN 978-89-97450-98-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2016 – via Korea Forest Service.
  3. ἀπόκυνον. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.
  4. "Colorado Plant Database - SPREADING DOGBANE - Apocynum androsaemifolium". www.jeffco.us. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  5. ἀπόκυνον in Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, revised and augmented throughout by Jones, Sir Henry Stuart, with the assistance of McKenzie, Roderick. Oxford: Clarendon Press. In the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University.
  6. Dempster, Lauramay T. (1993). "Apocynum". In Hickman, James C. (ed.). The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University and Jepson Herbaria.
  7. Li, Bingtao; Leeuwenberg, Antony J. M.; Middleton, David J. "Apocynum". Flora of China. Vol. 16 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  8. Kartesz, John T. (2013). "Apocynum". County-level distribution maps from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
  9. Xiong, Q; Fan, W; Tezuka, Y; Adnyana, IK; Stampoulis, P; Hattori, M; Namba, T; Kadota, S (2000). "Hepatoprotective effect of Apocynum venetum and its active constituents". Planta Med. 66 (2): 127–33. Bibcode:2000PlMed..66..127X. doi:10.1055/s-2000-11135. PMID 10763585. S2CID 25960011.
  10. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Cymarine
  11. "Apocynum L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
External links
  • Media related to Apocynum at Wikimedia Commons